Locking umbrella and parasol



GEO.F. soUTHwIcK, or SOMERSET, MASSACHUSETTS.

LOCKING UMBRELLA AND PARASOL.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 5,861, dated October 17, 1848.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. SOUTH- WIGK, of Somerset, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful improvement in umbrellas or parasols, whereby the same may be locked so as not t-o be opened or spread open by any person but the one who possesses the key-nut or mechanical contrivance for effecting the same.

The so locking an umbrella tends in a great degree to pervent it from being stolen or taken by a person through mistake; as it cannot be used by any one but the owner, or he who retains the possession of the key nut or means of unlocking it.

Of the drawings above mentioned, Figure 1, exhibits an elevation of the upper or handle part and stick of an umbrella, and the tubular slide which is usually applied to the stick, and made to move up and down therein, in order to close or open the umbrella. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal and central section of the same.

A in said drawings denotes the stick which in this case is a long metallic tube.

B is the slide tube or that to which the left hand of a person is usually applied while in the act of opening or closing the umbrella; the handle C being supposed to be grasped by the right hand.

D is the spring usually placed near the handle, and which operates in connection with a long slot in the slide tube to keep the umbrella closed. The said spring is made to work in and out of the stick. and slide tube B in the usual manner; but in my improved umbrella a long cap E is ap-` plied to the slide tube and made to cover the spring so as to `prevent a `person when it is sprung out of its socket from forcing it back by the application of his thumb in the customary way.` v Y,

The upper end of the spring D, is bent upward as seen in Fig. 2, and made to enter a hole made aside from the center of the bottom a, of a tube F, inserted in the tube A, and so applied thereto as to be capable of being freely revolved therein and on its axis. rlhe position of the said hole in the bottom of the tube F, is shown in Fig. 3, in which b denotes the said hole: the said ligure representing a view of the bottom or the lower` end of the tube. The tube F so closed with a perforated bottom a, is also closed at its upper end by a top 0, a view of which is given in Fig. 4. Said top has a square or other proper shaped hole or passage dt made centrally through it, into which the square part e, of a key tube G, is made to 4fit and to pass through when necessary.

When the square part of the key is in-l serted in the square'hole d, by turning ,the key either to the right or left we `can revolve the tube F, so as to advance or retract the spring D, or cause it to move into and out from the chamber of the cap E'. N ow while said spring remains inthe chamber or interior of the cap it will be impossible to slide the tube B, upon the stickv A,

so as to open or unfold the umbrella. `The said spring must be retracted or drawn or forced back entirely into the body of the tube A, before such can be accomplished.

A small cylindrical guide pin L, may be fixed in the tube F, in the position seen in Fig. 2. The key may have a cylindrical hole i, bored up into its shank, and of such size as to receive the guide pin; the object of said guide pin and hole in the shank of the key being to facilitate the application of the key to the locking tube. The shankk of the key or the part 7c, of it which is above the square part e, is turned cylindrical and of a diameter equal to or somewhat less than the length of the side of the square section of the part e of the key; and the shank of the key is made long enough yto allow the square part e to be passed down below the top of the tube F, a suii'icient dis-` tance to enable a person to Screw upon the handle C. The cap or head H, to which the shank G, is affixed. In Fig 2, the saidhead is1 represented as unscrewed from the hand e.

When the umbrella is in use the head.

may be sueredto remain screwed' in thek It` may be dispensed' ings, as'I may Vary or change the same as In testimony whereof I have' hereto set circumstances may require. my signature this eleventh day of October What I claim as my invention is A. D. 1847. A locking contrvance as applied to or GEO. F. SOUTHWICK. 5 combined with an umbrella., and made to Witnesses:

operate substantially in manner and for the J. B. ,SLADL purpose as herein above specified. NATHAN PAINE. 

